Various cart apparatus and inventory management systems have heretofore been devised.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,496 discloses a material handling cart which provides for the transportation and storage of material handling totes in manageable quantities. The material handling cart includes a pair of spaced parallel, vertical members interconnected by a plurality of equidistantly spaced horizontal support rails. A forwardly and downwardly projecting support leg is connected to each of the vertical members and terminates in a vertical portion remote from the connection to the vertical members. A first pair of fixed casters are mounted to the bottom of each of the vertical members and a second pair of rotatable casters are mounted in the ends of each of the vertical portions of the support legs. The material handling cart has curved handle portions and hand grips in order to manoeuvre the material handling cart. The parallel horizontal support rails are structured in order to accommodate material handling totes of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 212,946.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,725 discloses a trolley adapted to hold or to exhibit things or articles of different kinds. The trolley has a plurality of vertically stacked tray-like horizontal containers which are connected to one another by three uprights. The upper and lower containers being fixed to the uprights and the intermediate containers being revolvable on bearings. The trolley has casters attached to each of the three uprights beneath the base container in order to permit the trolley to be rolled about on a horizontal surface. The trolley also allows for the attachment of accessories in order to customize the trolley to assist the operator in their task.
Another device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,488 discloses a method for the inventory of a large number of items having the following steps:
(a) bar code labels are attached to each item to uniquely identify such item; PA1 (b) portable hand held bar code readers read the bar code labels on each item and operator inputs their absolute geographic location in terms of latitude, longitude and elevation (within one foot of accuracy) in association with the specific bar code; PA1 (c) the information obtained by the portable hand held bar code is transferred to a digital computer system and the information therein contained updates the inventory records, each bar code designation associated with its geographic location.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,950 discloses an inventory management system using transponders associated with specific products. This inventory management system requires the securement to an inventory unit of a micro-electronic transponder having on it an identifiable and coded identification which can communicate with computer controllers and automated data processing. The computer controllers transmit signals which activate the micro-electronic transponder associated with the inventory unit allowing the operator to locate the inventory unit and to engage in inventory analysis.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,766 discloses an inventory recordation system and processing. This system incorporates a platform for attachment to the operator in order to support instrumentation having an alpha-numeric keyboard, calculator and display which is connected to a data-recorder in order for processing inventories in a rapid, efficient and accurate manner without the use of written documentation. The data is inputted into the data-recorder on site, and thereafter the data-recorder is connected to a decoder and the information is used to update the inventory records.
Each of said prior art devices referred to above present relatively complicated devices having limited utility.
Moreover, the prior art devices utilized heretofore relate to structures which provide picking of units one order at a time. Furthermore, such prior art devices do not provide for mobile multiple pickings.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved cart and inventory control procedure.
An inventory retrieval system comprising: a central computer provided with an inventory storage database for recording the location of units of inventory; a first display terminal connected to said computer for entering orders into said computer; a first radio transmitter and receiver connected to said computer; a movable retrieval cart for carrying units of inventory retrieved to fill an order, said can comprising a second radio transmitter and receiver for receiving radio signals from and transmitting radio signals to said first radio transmitter and receiver; a second display terminal connected to said second radio transmitter and receiver; whereby an operator using said first terminal enters an order received from a customer, said computer recalls the locations of units of inventory required to fill that order and transmits the order and the locations to said second terminal by said first and second radio receivers and transmitters, and a second operator at said can reads said second terminal and uses said can to retrieve those units of inventory from their locations.
A mobile cart for carrying different units of inventory, and for communicating with a computer by radio frequency the location and quantity of the units carried therein, said can comprising: a frame; a plurality of shelves mounted on said frame each said shelves defining a shelf space; a plurality of containers disposed on said plurality of shelves; a radio frequency terminal for communicating with said computer and for receiving data for sequential location and quantity of said units of inventory to be placed in said containers, said terminal being mounted on said frame; a plurality of displays each corresponding to said shelf space for one of said containers, each display showing a quantity indicating the number of units of inventory to be placed in a container upon said corresponding shelf space; a machine readable code scanner for scanning machine readable codes to provide information to said radio frequency terminal; and a display control unit for receiving instructions from said radio frequency terminal and for sending instructions to said displays.